A 36-year-old mother accused of falsely claiming almost £100,000 in state benefits by pretending her young son had cancer failed to appear at court on Friday and a warrant was issued for her arrest.
It is alleged that the woman, from Berkeley, shaved the head and eyebrows of her son from the age of about four to make it appear he was seriously ill and receiving chemotherapy treatment.
The alleged offences by the mum-of-five are said to have gone on for about seven years.
She appeared before magistrates in Gloucester on October 4 accused of two offences of child cruelty and 15 offences of fraud and deception to obtain disability living and carers' allowances.
She failed to appear for committal proceedings to send the case to Gloucester Crown Court but she contacted her solicitor Nick Cooper's office saying she was at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol suffering from seizures.
Mr Cooper said she had told him a letter would be sent by the doctor treating her, but it had not arrived.
But investigating officer for Stroud District Council Phil English told the bench that the woman had been released from hospital three days ago, and had been seen near her home today.
Prosecutor Andrew Bowdler told the bench the woman now faced a further charge alleging that between June 2010 and February 2011, she committed fraud by failing to inform HM Revenue and Customs that her five children were no longer living with her, but she continued to claim tax credits and child benefit for them.
Mr Cooper told the court he had received a communication from the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, saying that she was in Frenchay Hospital high dependency unit suffering from seizures.
"She said a letter would be sent by the doctor treating her giving the nature of her complaint," he said, "but it has not yet arrived."
Outlining the extra charge, which made a total of 18, Mr Bowdler agreed with Mr Cooper that the case should be put back to see if the doctor's letter arrived.
But after Mr English's evidence, the magistrates issued a warrant for her arrest not backed by bail.
At the earlier hearing the woman had been bailed pending the committal today. She has yet to enter pleas to any of the charges.
2 comments:
This woman has pulled off scams like this for more years than the present case refers to. All she leaves behind her is misery for all those caught up in it.
The courts are far too light with her sort - she should be locked up for a long long time for what she did to her poor child. The benefit fraud pales into insignid=ficance compared toit.
Looking at the CPS guidelines for the child cruelty alone, she will possibly get a minimum of 2 years, but more likely 5 to 9 years. Considering that they normally serve only half of their sentence, that isn't enough for this cold, calculating, selfish woman. If, as you say, she has pulled off scams like this before, then it may be the maximum without parole. We can only hope.
At least it appears that the children are no longer with her - let's hope they recover from the trauma that this woman has perpetrated.
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